29 October 2015

This is an album I have been looking forward to reviewing - a few months
back, I reviewed a compilation album called 'You
Heard It Here First! Rock Vol 1' (Cleverly linked here) which was put
together by AmazingRecordCo, which is also part of Amazing Radio. It put
together the current cream of the crop of the UK rock/metal scene in one of the
best compo's I had heard for a long time, with the track from Tellison being
the best of the best. After "Tact Is Dead" was named my top
track of 'You Heard It.....', I made decision that I also wanted to check out
this album; so here we are with the release of 'Hope Fading Nightly'.
Hailing from Bethnal Green, East London, UK, Tellison comprise of Henry
Danowski, Stephen Davidson, Peter Phillips & Andrew Tickell and have been
together since 2003. This album is their third studio album which has
been released on Alcopop records, they have also been making a few waves with
reviews in the Independent, Drowned in Sound and Clash Music (to name a
few). I have checked out a few of their previous singles and I really
enjoyed them as well, so I have high hopes for this album.Starting the album is "Letter to the Team - Another Imperfect
Season" starts the record with an acoustic musing gives this album a
gentle opening. It sounds like a resignation is being changed into song
in front of the audience; it is a sad lament which automatically grabs your
attention with its reflective look at past glories, meaning Keanu Reeves and a
sense of regret. It is over quite quickly as well, but it is a song that
I have returned to over and over again. "Helix & Ferman" is
all about the twenty fifth year of someone who is only known for getting drunk
and inside the person feels lonely and empty. It is a great indie rock
song that has a classic riff that should be able to get an audience bouncing
and to make someone listening to this on their house feel reflective and dig
deeper into the lyrics. It has been bouncing around my head for weeks,
the bass line is so addictive and I keep repeating it. "Boy" is
the third song on the album, it is also the second song which was released as a
single from this album; it is a song about realising that someone has actually
made you grow up and you were a child when you first met them. There is a
hint of violence to the song as well (either metaphorical or real - I am not
too sure), there is a huge sense of regret and also a bit of acceptance as
well. It is another strong song that has also been going around my head
(together with an awful lot of this album - this could turn into a bit of a
love letter). The fourth track is called "Wrecker" and this
album keeps getting better as it goes on, on this stomping tune we have a
confession about being a self-destructive personality and apologising for their
self-destructive tendencies that they know will cause them (and others)
problems in the future. I know the subject matter is not happy, but the
song itself is one that makes me smile and sing along. It is a great
number that keeps this album on the right path and shows that "Tact Is
Dead" was not a fluke."Rookie of the Year" is a lament about failing to live up to
earlier promises, bitterness at one's situation and relishing the fact that
others will also not reach the dizzy heights that had at one time seemed like a
God given right. It is a slow number that gives more and more with each
listen, the ending of the song is one of the best hooks of the record and gives
this song that edge for me over the rest of the record - the more I listen to
this song, the more I am convinced it is the track of the album. It is an
outstanding song, truly wonderful. The next song is called
"Detective" and it is a song where the singer muses about being a
criminal investigator and how his life would be much better as he would not
have to take his current situation on his back. It is a massive song that
has a big hook of a chorus, it is cut from the same cloth as
"Wrecker" was taken from, it sounds like is an anthem in waiting and
it really appeals to this listener.Another class song that makes me wonder why I have not heard this band
before this year…..“Tact Is Dead” is
next and my opinion on this song has not changed, it is a great alternative
rock number that has a harder edge than some of the other songs on this
record.It was the first song to be
released as a single on this record, it is an obvious choice of a single and it
sounds just as epic now as the first time I heard it.“Orion” is another song which is questioning
relationships, if they are going to work, feeling empty inside and taking a
risk on kissing a friend.As an
alternative love song, it works so well and gives you an insight to how love
can sometimes be incredible hard on people when it comes to trust and being in
a position that you can trust yourself (or others) in a relationship.Sometimes you are not with people for a
reason, this song is a good example of that and it is also another brilliant
song – so far, not one foot wrong.
“Mendokusai” follows the similar pattern for a lot of this album, it is high on
emotion and there is a tone of resignation to the song.You have a certain degree of failure to the
song and a loss that is not going to be ignored.It is a good song which is sadly surrounded
by such gems that it is the track on the album which does not shine as much as
it’s brethren, however it is still a song that I love to listen to – when the
weakest track on the album is a good track, this is a very positive sign in my
books.“Hellhole” is actually a very
uplifting song once you get below the surface, on the face of it there is a lot
of self-loathing and regret – but when you dig a little deeper, you hear
companionship and trust building up.It
sounds as if hope is being found and there is a light descending onto the
record, giving that smallest chance that somethings might actually work
out.All the while this is going on in
the lyrics, the music is transforming in front of you into something that sinks
in a little deeper after each listen.If
it was not for “Rookie of the Year”, this would have been the track of the
album – it is still a brilliant song.The penultimate song is called “My Marengo” which deals with the
aftermath of saying good bye to a friend or loved one who has passed on by
their own hands, together with everything that it can bring to life in your own
life.It is a tragic and angry song, I
think this is far to say as it is dealing with conflicting emotions that do
circulate in these events.The song is
another well-crafted number and it can be hard to hear in place, but it is so
on the button that it hurts for all the right reasons.Ending the album is “Tsundoku” and this deals
with the world of adverts and the world we actually live in; you are told you
will be happy if you work really hard, but we all know that is not always the
case.It is a song that sounds so
unsatisfied with their lot and they are not going to stop until everything is
changed and they reach a goal.It is a
great ending song, bringing this album to a beautiful conclusion.
This is basically one of my favourite albums on 2015, it is up there with the
Sleaford Mods, FFS, The Armed, Kendrick Lemar and others; for all of this
album, not one foot is put wrong and the band sound as if they have made an
album that needs, nay it demands further listens.It is a great indie rock record, something
that sound familiar straight away and also totally refreshing in this world of Little
Mix, One Direction and other creatures from Dr Cowell.What this album is doing for me is taking the
emotions of these men, pinning it down whilst they dissect, exam it, trying to
understand it and then showing it to the world.It is a bruised record and not one to listen to if you are on the edge,
or maybe it is as it can show you that you are not alone.I do hope that if you read this you at least
check the album out, it really is worth the effort and will not disappoint.
10 out of ten – This is proof that there is a God (and he is a bit upset at the
moment)Top track - Rookie of the YearYou
can purchase Hope Fading Nightly from Amazon hereYou can visit the Tellison website hereYou can visit the Tellison Bandcamp
page here, where you can purchase Hope Fading Nightly (and all their other
releases as well)You can follow
the activities of Tellison on FacebookYou can
stream Hope Fading Nightly on Spotify hereYou can stream Hope Fading
Nightly on Deezer hereYou can stream Hope Fading
Nightly on Tidal here

27 October 2015

Here is my next review in our
series of reviews for the 2015 Mercury Music Prize; for this review I will be
looking at the third album by Obaro Ejimiwe (aka Ghostpoet). This is the
second time that he has been on the short list to win this award - his first
album 'Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam' was nominated in 2011, but
lost out to the all-conquering 'Let England Shake' by PJ Harvey.
Ghostpoet is obviously a name I have heard before, but not an artist I have
really had a chance or a burning desire to check out. The style of
trip-hop and alternative hip-hop are styles that I really have to be in the
mood to invest in and check new works out, otherwise I will switch off and that
is a little disrespectful to the artists involved if I do that. This
time, my hand is being forced and I am checking something out when I might not
be fair - but that is for consideration later. With each release,
Ghostpoet has been released to higher acclaim and his audience is growing; also
that cover it very interesting with its purse silver and blistering purple metal
chemical reaction is certainly eye-catching - so is the music as attention
grabbing.

Starting the album is "Off
Peak Dream" which begins with a charming female voice as a piano plays
whilst the rest of the band are getting themselves together. When the
band come together, it is a trip hop dream that reminds me of early Roots
Manuva with a relaxed style to the vocals. The song has a brilliant hook
that states that Ghostpoet he is ready for something and the verses have
various musing about the world and how it goes. It is very interesting
and reminds me of a band called 50 Yard Beat Experiment that I saw many moons
ago, I loved that band and this song certainly wets the palette for this
listener. The second song is called "X Marks the Spot" which
features Nadine Shah who is a singer from Whitburn, South Tyneside, this is the
first of two tracks which she appears on. The song in places have a
resemblance to "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics (mostly the bass line
in brief passages), it is a song which speaks of betrayal and loss with a dark
passage of music. It is another song that peaks my interest with its
minimal styling and laid back delivery from Ghostpoet. You have a really
good hook once more in this song, it does stick with you for a long time after
the song stops and that is a good sign that this song has sticking power.
The third track is "Be Right Back, Moving House" which features the
talents of Paul Smith (vocalist with Maxïmo Park). I think that it is
safe to call this song spars, you do not have a lot of instrumentation in the
song and there is not too many layers to the music in that respect; but it has
an emotional level that does not need too much music to support it. It is a
soul searching number as someone is trying to understand what is happening as a
relationship has ended and the pieces need to be placed back together - it is a
beautiful number to this stark and spars record.

The fourth track is the title
track of the record "Shedding Skin" and features Mélanie De Biasio on
vocals with Ghostpoet. By this point you are used to the minimal
instrumentation of the album, it is very relaxing and the lyrics about being
not being known are very good once again. I think that at this point you
will have probably made your mind up about this album as it shares a similar
style to the last three song of the records. Always good to have some
continuity, but a hint of variation would not have gone a miss either? As
if he senses this himself, "Yes, I Helped You Pack" brings a bit of
energy to the album, but without adding more layers to the music. The
drums have been unleashed as have the synths here, everything has a been given
a bit more which gives this song an edge Even the guest vocalist (Etta
Bond) has more to do here that other artists on this record. A song about
a relationship hitting rock bottom and the inevitable separation is a great
song, it shows that there is more than one shade to this album which was really
needed at this point. The second track to feature Nadine Shah "That
Ring down the Drain Kind of Feeling" is very depressing, I mean it sounds
like Portishead when they were at their most miserable.....and then it starts
to rain harder. I have not heard anything this dark in terms of trip-hop
for an awfully long time and whilst it may be as happy as those dark and woeful
times in people's lives when it turns to shit, the song itself is one of the
best on this album. You are not going to come out of it with a smile on
your face, but it is still a great song.

"Sorry My Love, it’s You Not Me" is the last song to feature a guest
vocalist - this time it is Lucy Rose who has also performed with Manic Street
Preachers and Bombay Bicycle Club. It has a bit more energy to this song
once again than was apparent in earlier numbers on the album, but it is used
just as prudently as has been apparent of the record. When one instrument
starts to come to the forefront, others seem to vanish and Ghostpoet is all
dominate to the song as has been the case for all of this album and the guests
are used only very briefly. Much like "Yes, I Helped You Pack"
you have an up-tempo number for this album, but it is still delivered with the
same laid back vocal style that has been the calling card of this album with
this song of a failed romance going to the wall. "Better Not
Butter" is another song where the instrumentation is given more prominence
than earlier on in the album, it is a song about wanting more in the world that
seems to be passing us all by. It is another song where the aggression is
turned up once more and it feels like there is more anger behind this song than
in previous numbers - but whilst a change is welcome, it is also a little late
as well. The penultimate song is called "The Pleasure in
Pleather" and is strips everything back to the bones again, the song is
about being out of control and everything is heading towards a messy end.
As the song goes on it starts to has a lot more in common with "Better Not
Butter" as the band start to kick in with a lot more noise, however it is
starting to drain on the record as it heads into the ending track.
"Nothing In the Way" ends the album, with a keyboard intro and the
song is about getting back up after falling down. It is a noble
sentiment, back at the minimal end of Ghostpoet’s sound; however it is almost a
relief that we are here as the last strings fade and the album reaches its
conclusion.

I think it is fair to say that I have a few issues with this album and that it is not one that I will be returning to soon - one of the
first thing that hinders this album is the similarity between numbers, there is very little to distinguish between some of the songs. By the time we reach the end
of the album, it has just drifted too far in the wrong direction that it takes
away from the good work which was done at the beginning of the album as I was really impressed by a few of the numbers. Another is
that the guests on this record are used as sparingly as the instrumentation -
if they were not there, I am not too sure if it would have made much of a
difference in places and sometimes they are so far in the background that they
might as well not have been there is the first place. When sixty percent
of your album have a guest and some of those performances are not memorable,
then you have a problem. In places this record really does connect with
me, in places I felt it was working against itself and the audience in a way
which was destructive to the outcome of the record. It started off
strong, but it sunk under the waves by the end of the album which is a
real shame. If this is your deal, more power for ya - I wish it was but
it does not do anything for me and even if I was in the mood for this genre of music, it is not an album I would reach for and that is being fair.

I love it when musicians go out on their own and follow their unique path – when
an act is able to forge ahead with their own vision in the way that acts like
Omni Dimensional have done is something that I truly respect. It is
something that puts people like me to shame in so many ways, the creativity
that goes into it is really awe-inspiring. Recently I have been contacted
by another one person project called Sylvaine who is a Norwegian lady currently
based in Paris, according to her website she decided to start this project to
express the feelings and emotions that she felt within herself. This
album is recorded and produced by Sylvaine herself with only mixing help from
Nick Terry and mastering from Ray Staff. That is a lot of control right
there, you know this is going to be a very personal project from the beginning
and there is obviously a lot of self-belief with is the drive behind the album.
With a lot of self-promotion, she is getting the band noticed and it is really
paying off - she has toured in South America in 2014 with Alcest, she is getting
a live band together so her music can be performed in the way it has been recorded,
Sylvaine has also recently signed for Season of Mist who will be releasing her
second album in 2016 and that is a label which always has something interesting
going on. It is paying off for Sylvaine and it shows what a lot of hard
work can do, so it is time to find out what her music is all about.Starting the album is the instrumental "Sylvaine" and it is an
atmospheric track which brings to mind the atmosphere of being alone in the
woods at night and the terrors that the mind can bring into focus. It is
something that has been used to great effect with other acts and it has been
done here for "Silent Chamber, Noisy Heart". Following on is
"It Rains in My Heart" which is sung in both French and English, it
is a song that seems to be about the empty feeling when someone withdrawal from
your presence and you are left to pick up the pieces. It is a slow paced
number which builds up on a simple riff and strong keyboards. It has a
folk/medieval lament to the tune as well and I am not sure how, but some of the
chord sequence reminds me of the pacing of songs such as "Ah Robin, Gentle
Robin" and "Adieu To Old England" but with an added sense of
drama and (obviously) more guitars. It is slow, emotional and not without
charm and passion, you can sense that a lot of time has went into this
song. Next is the title song of the album "Silent Chamber, Noisy
Heart" which starts with the strumming of an acoustic guitar and it builds
slowly but surely up further and further as the emotions and instruments are
added to each other, this is done to support the lyrics which are open to
interpretation but for me seem to be about keeping a calm exterior whilst
everything inside is falling apart under the weight of the world. It is a
six minute plus song, it takes its time to reach its chorus and then it builds
up one again; I really appreciate the way this song ebbs and flows, I enjoy it
when songs take their time to grown and it is well worth giving time for this
one to reach its peak.The fourth track is called "TOCKA" and this song is all about
being stuck behind in a metaphorical building of your mind, whilst the world
passes by and you need to be saved. Musically the tempo is raised and it
has an indie rock tone to the song that reminded me in places of Radiohead if
they went a little metal. For what it is, it is well performed but it
feels out of place on the record and does not help the record which is a shame.
"Bien Loin D'ici" (which is French for "Though far From
Here") is another song about being separated from the world and reaching
to other places to feel at home and safe. This does a much better job
than "TOCKA" for picking up the pace of the album, it is mid-paced
and mixes the atmospheric elements of Sylvaine with a melancholy musical progression
that sounds fragile in places, but the song itself is built on solid and strong
foundations. It is one of the strongest songs for me on this release and
it is followed on by "The Biggest Loss of All" which combines the
folk, shoegazing and atmospheric elements of Sylvaine's sound. A song
about the loss of innocence and the aftermath of dealing with the removal of
one's former self to the world, "The Biggest Loss of All" can hardly
be described as a happy, go lucky number that is uplifting and making the world
a brighter place. But that is not the purpose of the song - no, it is
meant to be a reflective and thought provoking piece to show the world how
Sylvaine is feeling inside and to hopefully show some people who are feeling
the same elsewhere in this world that they are not alone in some ways and that
there is other people who are experiencing the same emotional turmoil; It
is a beautiful number which showcases the best qualities of Sylvaine.The seventh song of the album is called "Dysphoria" and it was the
first song to be released off the album on January 2014 - dysphoria is a word
that means a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life; it is
something that is linked to feeling of anxiety and depression. The music
is apprehensive and unease, with the use of minor keys made to give the
audience a sense of what is going on behind the words of the song. I can
see why it was released as the first song off the album, but I feel there are
better song off the album such as "Bien Loin D'ici" & "Silent
Chamber, Noisy Heart". However, this song is more immediate in its
delivery so it was the obvious choice of lead single. Next is the
instrumental "Seraphim" with mixes vocals and light percussions, it
is very brief and acts as a brief interlude before "I Drink In Every Sob
Like Wine" which crashes over the audience like a dark nightmare. It
is actually a beautiful song which once again is high on misery, but it is also
enchanting and full of harsh contrasts of light and dark that giving it the edge
over the other top tracks of the album - it is the best on offer here and I
would recommend that anyone who like atmospheric/shoegazing metal to check it
out. Now "I Drink...." is the last song according to the Bandcamp
page, but on the Sylvaine website there is another song called "A Laugh in
a Sea of Sorrow" which actually ends the album on a very high mark.
It is how I imagine All about Eve would have sounded if they listened to more
metal. It is a fast paced ending to this record which is sort of out of
place to some of the other songs, but it is still a great song that adds
another dimension to this artist.Ok I will say this from the beginning as I think that people who do this
sort of project need to have honest reviews from people like me - this is not
something I would have normally listen to, but I am glad that Sylvaine have got
in touch with us as it is a good example of what is good about this type of
music. It combines a lot of different elements and there is a lot going
into the sound – there is atmospheric, folk and shoegazing metal, there is some
elements of gothic rock, there is heart breaking sound to this album that is vulnerable
and fragile – it all comes together really well. For a one person
project, I am impressed with the songs as they combine beauty and darkness into
one drop of misery to help the broken hearted realise they are not alone in the
world. As I mentioned it is not my cup of tea, but I can see the effort
that has went into this album and if you like your music to edge towards the
inward, reflective and atmospheric then I would truly recommend this
album. For what it is worth, I will also be checking out Sylvaine’s
second album next year and for a type of music that is not my preferred style I
think that shows that a project that is built with passion can always be
appreciated by a fan of any type of genre – this is a beauty piece of
atmospheric music.7 out of ten - This is good and worth checking outTop track - I Drink in Every Sob like WineYou can purchase Silent
Chamber, Noisy Heart on Bandcamp here, you can also stream it there as well -
but only for limited time before you have to purchase itYou can visit the Sylvaine website
here, where you can also purchase and stream the albumYou can follow the
activities of Sylvaine on Facebook hereThe album is not available on Spotify, Deezer, etc.

Welcome to the final round-up review of 2017! Similar to the Round-Up posts I put up earlier in the year, I’m going to be posting some bull...

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Album scoring system

0 - This is proof there is no deity1 - You're really are touching the bottom of the barrel with this one2 - If only there was some quality control3 - It could have been a bit better4 - Well it's alright, but still......5 -Not for everyone but played well6 - Now I see where you were going, but it's not quite there7 - This is good and well worth a check8 - Oh, now you have my attention and maybe my money, time and heart9 - Almost perfect....Almost10 - This is proof there is a deity(For albums that are too crazy to be marked)Crazy Cat symbol - This album cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens

Singles/EP Marking System

0 - Only to be listened to by people bless with the gift of being deaf1 - Not so much on the bad that it is bottom of the barrel, but it can see the stuff down there2 - Not bad, not good - so average it is Zen3 - Decent, getting there4 - This is really good, well worth checking out5 - I wish I had extra ears to love this more(For Singles/EPs that are too crazy to mark)Crazy Cat symbol - This release cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens